TIM’S STORY

“When I was a boy, my parents took me to many museums and historic sites. Some of these had amazing building and structures, sculptural forms that seemed to be formed by and for the landscapes they inhabited. Among the most intriguing were the towers. Towers of wood, stone, iron, and concrete. In 2004, the need to build a tower won me over and I started to draw a castle tower.”

“A timber frame tower made sense for this northern location. It is traditional, it would be warmer and rise more quickly than concrete or stone. The base is concrete, molded round, and tapered vertically (as is the post and beam structure it supports). All of my spare time was spent shaping the forms and structure. had occasional help from friends, but my “crew” was usually my jeep with its winch. As the structure rose from the forest floor, I was reminded of the special place this is, here in the white mountains, and I realized that the castle must be shared.”

“Since coming to the north country, I have seen a need for more art education. It seemed to me that the castle could be a center for that purpose. As the castle grew I thought of ways to make that happen. I continued to build mostly on my own, but with occasional help from friends. In recent years I was joined by a new group of friends, including two young artists. Their help and enthusiasm made me realize that others could share the vision of the castle art center. Through those two artists, I met a larger network of artists. For many of these young artists, studio facilities are just beyond their reach, as they leave art school and try to produce art. I realized if the castle could provide those studios, that we could then ask these talented, skilled young artists to then share those skills by hosting workshops for the local community, especially for the children. These workshops could go beyond the classroom. They would be held in real, vibrant, working art studios, with fresh faces and minds to guide them.”

“This is what Tarleton Castle is being built for, this is what it is becoming. The volunteer weekends, that we initiated in 2014, were a success not only in work performed on the building but in bringing together artists, members of the building trades and other community members, working and learning together as we built. This is the spirit that will make the castle a reality, both as a structure and as a force in the art and local communities.”